The occurrence of oil and gas in the Danish part of the North Sea depends on the properties of the subsurface and the effects it they have been exposed to over time.
To describe the conditions in the subsurface, one uses a number of geophysical and geological methods (structural geology, seismic interpretation and mapping, depth conversion, sedimentology, stratigraphy, geochemistry and laboratory analyzes) where the results are compiled into a conceptual geological model, a basin model.
When a geological model is described using basin analysis, one can quantify the model and calculate the impact of the model within a given deposition area, thereby pointing out new exploration options.
Using basin modelling tools (GEUS uses commercial PetroMod©), one can set up a model based on known data points and other information, which you subsequently can use in areas with no data.
This compiled numerical model can be used to predict/predict the geological conditions, the presence of deposition basins and any instances of oil and gas, as well as to test possible hypotheses in areas where there is no direct data.